Sheet feeding device



Feb. 27, 1940. G. sPlsss 2,191,596

SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Filed April .25, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

Feb. 27, 1940. a. SPIESS 2,191,596

" swam FEEDING DEVICE Filed A'p ril 25, 1938' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnventon' Feb. 27, 1940.

' G. SPIESS SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 25, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 27, 1940. e. sPlzss 2,

\ SHEET FEEDING DEVICE v Filed April v25, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 k wz/ Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING DEVICE Georg Spices, Leipz g, Germany Application April 25,- 1938, Serial No. 204,232

. In Germany May 18, 1937 5Claims. (01.271-38) This invention relates to a sheet feeding device for folding machines or similar machines for operating upon sheets.

Four different methods of feeding are generally known in the art, namely, (a) fully automatic feeding, (b) three-quarter automatic feeding, (c) semi-automatic feeding and (d) handfeeding; and throughout this specification these expressions have been used to indicate the following operations respectively:

(a) In fully automatic feeding the sheet is separated mechanically from the pile by suction grippers or wiping rolls, fed to a roller feed table and forwarded thereby to the folding table or other working machine, the position of the pile with regard to the sheet separating .means being also automatically adjusted.

(b) In three-quarter automatic feeding the sheets are spread out on an inclined support and the separation of the sheets from the pile is automatically effected by means of rollers, the adjustment of the position of the pile with regard to the rollers and the supplying of new sheets being effected by hand.

(0) In semi-automatic feeding the sheets are. lifted one by one from a pile and placed on the roller feed table which then conveys them to the working machine.

(d) Finally, in hand feeding the sheet is placed by hand directly at the front stops of the working machine or in sheet buckling folders placed at the side gauge and along this gauge lead between the driving rolls of the folder.

It is known to employ especially constructed feed tables which can be used for passing the sheets separated from the pile to the ,"'roller table of the machine in fully automatic feeding and also feed tables are known for semior. threequarter automatic feeding, (U. S. Patent No. 1,419,733, of June 13, 1922).

.Now the principal object of this invention is to provide a simplified construction of a feeding device by means of which a change may be made ceptlon of the pile of sheets. The rear portion I plan of a hand feed device, the auxiliary device of said articulated table lies approximately horizontally and the downwardly inclined front portion of said table projects into theangle formed by the rollsof the three-quarterautomatic feeding device. .Said articulated table is inserted 5 above the feed table used for the fully or semiautomatic or hand feeding.

The feed table intended for fully automatic feeding .is preferably horizontally or approximately horizontally arranged to permit its use as a pile table for hand or semi-automatic sheetfeeding.

Means, for example, inthe form of racks constructed as rests, may be provided on the articulated table or on the feed or pile table for adjust.- ing the front end of the said articulated table.

If desired, when the sheets have been fed automatically in a fanned-out manner, the front portion of the upper bank pile table may be adapted to be turned back to permit readier access to the articulated table.

In the case where a pile table for'hand feeding only is provided without an automatic feedas a folding machine, provided only with a pile table for hand feed, in a simple and convenient manner for semior three-quarter-automatic feeding and subsequently to replacev if necessary the pile table for hand feed by a pile table for fully automatic separation and feeding of the sheets whilst always retainingthe possibility of changing from hand feed to three-quarterand fully automatic feed, and vice versa. Under the same conditions, the automatic feeding device can be replaced by a simple pile table for hand feed in which alternative methods of feeding are provided.

By way of example, one form of the invention 5 is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which all parts not requried for understanding the invention have been omitted and in which Figure 1 is a view of a fully automatic sheet feeding device;

Fig. 2, a plan thereof,the auxiliary device for three-quarter automatic feed being indicated in both figures by dash-and-dot lines; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a view and a being also indicated in both figures by dash-anddot lines.

The horizontally disposed feed table 2 for passing the sheets separated from the pile to the roller feed table I connects the latter with the front portion 3 of the lower round pile table 4 and is secured to the roller feed table I. The frame of the intermediate feed table 2 is fitted at its end adjacent to the roller feed table I with two upwardly directed continuations 5 to which by means of the pins 6, arms I are adjustably and fixably articulated, in which arms I a shaft 8 extending over the width of the table 2 is rotatably disposed. The shaft 8 carries several displaceable and fixable wiping rolls 9 provided with a rubber covering and is connected by a pair of gear wheels III, II with a shaft I2 arranged in the frame of the feed table 2 and carrying. the adjustable companion rolls I3 which cooperate with the rolls 9. The rolls I3 are adjustably fixed in position on their shaft in any suitable manner as by means of set-screws (not shown) carried on the hubs thereof, which, when loosened, enable the rolls to be freely displaced axially along the shaft.

For hand feeding, the wiping rolls 9 and the companion rolls I3 are brought into a position in which they are inoperative, so that the sheets coming from the automatic feeder pass over' the table 2 to the roller feeding table I without coming into contact with the rolls 9, I3 of the threequarter-automatic feeding device. The same applies to the handor semi-automatic feeding operation during which the pile is placed on the feed table 2 and the sheet removed by hand from the pile and directly placed on the roller feeding table I. I

a To the front portion 3 of the table 4 arms I4 are secured by pins I5, which support a rod I6 extending over the width of the table 4. On the rod I6 is mounted the rear end of a table comprising three articulated members I I, I8, 39 for the reception of the pile for three-quarter-automatic feeding. For this purpose, the member I! possesses rearwardly extending rest-like racks I9 in the rests of which the transverse bar I6 is inserted. The front table portion 39, which is adjustable as to its inclination relative to the middle part I8 by a set screw 40 disposed on the middle portion and can be fixed in position by a nut 4I movably arranged on the member 39 and is thus rigidly connected with the middle part I8, is inserted with its free end in notches of rack-like members '20 disposed on the frame of the feed table 2. Owing to the fact that each rack-like member I9, possesses several notches for the insertion of the front end of the table portion 39 or of the transverse rod It, the articulated table I1, I8, 39 can be adjusted to vary the inclination of the members I8 and 39 and to regulate their distance from the wiping rolls 9 and the companion rolls I3.

For so-called three-quarter-automatic sheet feeding it is only necessary to bring the wiping rolls Sand the companion rolls I3 into operating position and to place the articulated table II, I8, 39 in the manner described upon the horizontal table 2 so that the rear member I 1 lies approximately horizontal and the downwardly inclined front portion 39 projects into the angle formed by the rolls 9 and I3 of the three-quarter automatic feeding device. It is thus not required to remove the table 2 and the automatic feeding device.

To prevent the upper round pile table from being in the way of the operator in semior threequarter-automatic feeding the front portion 2I thereof is hinged to the stronger rear portion 22 and can be turned back as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the use of the same optionally employable device for three-quarter-automatic feeding in connection with a device provided only for handor semi-automatic feeding. The roller feeding table I of the machine is connected instead of with the feed table 2 of the automatic sheet feeding device with a horizontal pile table 23 by means of cheeks 24 secured on both sides of the frame of the table I.- The cheeks 24 serve for supporting the transmission shafts. From a driving shaft 21 arranged on one side of the roller table I in bearings 25, 26, by means of bevel gearing 28, a shaft 29 disposed under the roller table I and a pulley 30 all rollers of the table I are driven at uniform speed and in the same direction by a belt 3|. The shaft 29 is connected by a universal joint 32 with a shaft 33 disposed in a check 24 and carrying a toothed wheel 34 which through an intermediate wheel 35 drives a toothed wheel 36 on a shaft 8 on which wiping rolls 9 are arranged. The feed table 23 possesses on both sides an eye 31 for the reception of an insertable support 38 for the cross rod I6 which receives the rear end of the articulated table 'I'I, I8, 39 forthree-quarter-automatic feeding. If desired, the wiping rolls 9 and the companion rolls and the driving mechanism therefor can be arranged on the pile table 23, instead of as shown on-the roller feed table I.

When a machine is at first equipped only with a device for semior three-quarter automatic feeding and at increasing use of the machine this equipment is to be replaced by a fully automatic device, the change can be effected without much trouble, as only the table for hand feed need be removed and the feed table 2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 attached to the roller feeding table I,

whereupon the automatic sheet feeder can be installed. This arrangement affords the possibility of employing at will fully automatic feeding in addition to the previously already possible semior three-quarter-automatic feeding methods.

I claim:

1. A sheet feeding device for folding machines or other machines for operating upon sheets, comprising feeding rolls, at least one main feed table and means for selectively feeding the sheets automatically, semi-automatically and by hand, means for feeding the sheets three-quarter auto.- matically, said last means comprising a separate articulated table above said main table for the reception of the pile of sheets, a rear portion of which table lies approximately horizontally, a front portion of said table being downwardly inclined and projecting into the angle formed by said feeding rolls. and means supporting said articulated table above said feedtable.

2. A sheet feeding device for folding machines or other machines for operating upon sheets, comprising feeding rolls, at least one main feed table and means for selectively feeding the sheets automatically, semi-automatically and by hand,

means for feeding the sheets three-quarter autofront portion of said table being downwardly inclined and projecting into the angle formed by said feeding rolls, and means supporting said articulated table above said feed table, said feed table being intended for fully automatic feeding and is substantially horizontally arranged to per- .mit its use as a pile table for hand or semi-automatic sheet feeding.

3. A sheet feeding device as claimed in claim 2, means for adjusting the front and rear end of the said articulated table, said adjusting means comprising racks constructed in the manner of rests.

4. A sheet feeding device as claimed inclaim 11, a portion of said. feed table being on a higher I 1, a pile table being intended for selective hand and semi-automatic feeding only, and said means for three-quarter automatic feeding comprising.

said articulated table, wiping rolls, companion rolls and a drive arranged on said feed table, and means on said pile table for attaching said articulated table thereto.

, GEORG SPIESS. 

